And I Recall His Red Rat
by CanadianBeast-Dancer
Summary: After disaster struck the Northern Water Tribe, not only did they lose their chief, but also their duchess and Avatar. The world has missed her for 12 years and two sly brothers are attempting to convince the world they have found her again. Anastasia AU.
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, those edits, or the poem mentioned no matter how much I wish I did.

* * *

160 AG

It was a joyous, triumphant time for the Northern Water Tribe. Many were enchanted by the prosperity of their community after spending sixty years in intimate alliance with their sister tribe in the South. There were parties and celebrations unlike any other where benders would display their unique talents and many cheered out of awestruck and wonder. It was truly a joyous time.

The royal family was in celebration of Tonraq's tenth year reigning as Chief of the Tribes. Technically he was the star of the night, but it was his daughter, Korrin, that was the true light of the occasion. Earlier that year, the family had the delight of learning she was in fact the new Avatar and that night it was finally announced to the public. Many times throughout the party, the young girl was asked to see just a sample of her powers beyond water bending, although she had only been training for six very short months.

Though she was very far from taming the three extra elements blessed upon her, Korrin was close to fully mastering her natural element, water. Meaning her mentor, Katara, would soon be retiring back to her home in Republic City with her son. Both prodigious benders had grown very close, developing a deep connection no one could possibly match. Korrin was devasted at first to hear that her dear instructor would be leaving.

This sparked the idea in Katara to give her a parting gift, something that would always give the young Avatar thoughts of her while she was away. Korrin was ecstatic to receive the endearing token. Wrapped up in the mentor's withered, practiced hands was a traditional betrothal necklace. But instead of having the normal insignia of the Tribe or even a symbol of the relationship they shared, inscribed around the perimeter of the charm was "Home is wherever you are". On the back was written "Republic City". Along with the necklace, she had also hand-written Korrin's favorite poem onto a scroll. She let the parchment slide out of its blue, plastic container and released it from its tightly coiled state. Together, the two water benders recited the scripture.

_"Someone asked me what home was_

_ and all I could think of were_

_ the stars on the tip of you tongue,_

_ the flowers sprouting from your mouth,_

_ the roots entwined in the gaps between your fingers,_

_ the ocean echoing inside of your ribcage."_

And as their tongues shaped the last syllables, the light-hearted moment ended; the reign of such a joyous, triumphant time had ceased and a sinister one stepped in it's place. Its owner stepped along with it: Unalaq.

He was Tonraq's younger brother, and even his most trusted advisor beforehand. Throughout the years, though, Unalaq became power-hungry, so obsessed that he was driven to the point of madness. In compulsion of his greed, he left the family in promise to return with greater power than the Four Nations combined. Unalaq had sold his soul to the Great Spirit of Darkness Vaatu, in exchange for extreme power only to fulfill one duty: destroying Tonraq and the rest of the royal family.

That night, he had arrived to the party to announce his intentions and spark the flames sent from the most heinous spirits. Homes were invaded, families destroyed. Civil wars erupted not just in the North but in the Southern Tribe, as well. After weeks of corruption, Vaatu's spirits finally reached the Northern palace.

Katara tried to escape with the young Avatar in tow. Within the chaos, Korrin escaped her mentor's grasp in search of the sacred poem. She ran back to her room, now in complete disarray. While the girl searched, Katara tried to fight off the dark spirits the best she could until it became too late. They were surrounded. No escape. No choice. No mercy.

It was as if she were in a dream as Korrin felt the wall behind her begin to move. Her worst thoughts came to mind, _The walls are collapsing. They palace will fall. There really is no way out._ Her train of consciousness came to a halt as she felt a nudge behind her left ankle. Looking down, she saw the dark-haired head of a young boy. She knew him. He was the son of one of the servants, so he helped out around the palace quite often. More often than that, though, he would spend time spying on the young Avatar. It seemed he had an infatuation with her, and she wouldn't deny he had great looks for his age.

The boy nudged her foot aside, giving himself enough room to rise off the floor, and pushed both water benders towards the wall. Korrin resisted until she saw that the wall actually had an opening, as if there was some hidden tunnel through the way. The boy pushed the two again, urging them to move. Korrin resisted again, turning to the boy and asking for her scroll. His rich auburn eyes burned through her own.

Without explanation, the boy pushed Korrin passed the threshold and quickly slid the walls together again. He turned and searched the room for the precious scroll only to be greeted by an army of spirits.

Both water benders scrambled through the crowds in attempt to reach the boats. Katara almost sighed with relief as she felt the wood of the boat beneath her shoes. The spirits could only travel so far away from Unalaq, considering his body housed Vaatu. The fact had given Katara comfort until Korrin was violently ripped from her arms.

She was dragged across the harsh snow, spirits wrapping their limbs around her ankles, directly into the hands of Unalaq. Katara immediately bent the snow and ice around his body, constricting his arms and legs, forcing him to let go of the young girl. The ice beneath him shattered and Unalaq was sent down into the frozen void. Korrin was dropped onto a portion of solid snow, knocking her unconscious.

Katara felt the boat surge to life in one large push and it began to speed, separating her from Korrin quicker and quicker. There was nothing that could be done. Korrin was gone. It was the end.

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A/N: Inspired by these lovely edits by kaiayame . Please please please give me feedback! Thank you!

The poem used was written by e. e. cummings


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Sorry this is being posted so late, but here is chapter 1! I will try to keep a consistency of one chapter a week. Each chapter will be uploaded on Fridays. There may be brief hiatuses here and there depending on busy my schedule keeps me, so please bare with me if a chapter isn't uploaded for a couple weeks! Thank you guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or the inspired story.

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172 AG, 12 years later

"Have you heard the news?" Harsh whispers pulled his attention away from the newspaper in his hands. Bolin glanced down the street to see three heads so close together they could have been attached.

"Yes, the rumor of the grand Duchess, the Avatar."

"That perhaps she is still alive!" The last held too much excitement in his voice and the other two figures shushed him immediately.

The first man spoke again, "Supposedly, The Waterbending Master Katara is holding a very generous prize for anyone who presents the princess."

"But if she's been gone all this time, why wouldn't she have been found sooner?"

"Maybe someone is planning to fake their way to Katara."

"It wouldn't be a half-bad idea. Unless, of course, they were caught."

He couldn't resist the grin that spread under his nose. Bolin folded his paper and stuffed it in his coat as he began striding towards the market area.

Vendors attacked him with their merchandise, claiming they "found this fur pelt in dear Eska's room" or "the Empress Senna had eaten right off this plate". On the outside of the swell, was a tall, dark-haired young man leaning nonchalantly against the corner of one wall. Bolin politely slid through the crowd until he reached the man. "Our plan has taken off, Mako."

He smirked from behind his vivacious red scarf. The two made their way towards the back entrance of the market building and off to their make-shift apartment. Whether "make-shift" meant "illegal" was of course in the eye of the beholder; technically it was trespassing, but the palace had been abandoned for more than a decade.

"I got the theatre reserved for both nights," Bolin told him.

"This is it, bro. I can feel it," Mako hurriedly collected the scripts and stuffed them in a brief case. "No more forging papers, stealing goods, living in this shitty palace. Soon we'll have three tickets out of here: you, me, and _Korrin_." He gave his younger brother a wink as he spoke the name of the mystery passing through the Northern Water Tribe

After a week of spreading the word, the rumor of the Avatar had taken control like a plague covering the city. The brothers had tricked and deceived many times, but they had never created such an elaborate plan as this. Soon they would be expecting a slew of women to be auditioning for the part of the grand Duchess. Whoever sold herself the best, would be on the next boat to Republic City. Of course there would be some explanation due in certain details such as where this girl has been, why she didn't present herself earlier, and if she truly _is_ the Avatar, why she can't bend all four elements. But it's nothing Mako and Bolin couldn't gloss over.

"I know it, Bolin; this will be the greatest con in history."

* * *

"Now, girl, do you remember the directions I gave you?"

Korra found it hard to answer considering her inquirer was the one dragging her out of the house by her scarf.

"Did you hear me, Korra?" Ms. Beifong snapped.

Korra ripped the fabric out of the older woman's hands and straightened. "Yes ma'am."

Beifong gave her a cold stare before turning and unlocking the gates of the orphanage. "You better not mess this up; I had to pull a lot of strings to get you this job."

"Congrats, want a medal," Korra grumbled beneath her breath.

Ms. Beifong froze first, then whipped around and marched to the girl, noses almost touching. "Watch that attitude of yours, missy. For twelve years, I've fed you, clothed you, kept-"

"-a roof over my head," Korra finished for her, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The older woman narrowed her eyes, unintentionally making the scar that was painted across her face even more prominent. Every time she did that, Korra always wondered how the scar got there. Beifong never told, but Korra made up at least a hundred narratives. "How is it you can remember all those spiels I've given, but you can't remember a damn thing about yourself before you came here?"

Korra shrugged. Her hand flew on instinct to her throat to clutch at the charm. "The only clue I have is-"

"Yes," Beifong interrupted. "Republic City. _I know_." She turned and continued fighting the locks until the rusted iron gates swung open with a screech even a tiger-shark would fear. "Well, if you really think that's where your life is, then all I can say is 'good luck, kid'."

Korra wasn't sure, but she thought she noticed a hint of a smile grace the bitter woman's lips.

* * *

Considering the only way to travel anywhere form the Northern Water Tribe was by boat, the docks were always busy. It took an immense amount of concentration for Korra just to focus on which boat was going where. She repeated the port number Beifong gave in her head until a particular sign caught her eye:

**4358 REPUBLIC CITY – ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: 5 DAYS**

She tossed the ridiculous idea around in her head. _What have I got to lose? Everything I've ever wanted could be waiting there for me. But . . . what if it's not?_ Korra shook her head at her own ludicrous suggestion.

She continued searching for her boat with poor luck. She suddenly felt a large force impact her body, knocking her into the snow. At first, all she saw was white, thinking a monstrous snowball had been thrown at her. Korra then noticed this particular snowball had a lengthy, pink tongue reaching out to attack her.

Korra wrestled with the dog (or was it more like a polar bear?) until she was finally able to stand, coming to just a small level above the animal. It didn't seem vicious for it's size, at least not to Korra. More playful, really. This characteristic was confirmed when the animal took Korra's scarf in it's mouth and continued to unravel it from her neck until it had full possession. The polar bear-dog immediately bound off in the opposite direction.

Korra chased after the animal, weaving haphazardly through the dense crowd as it opened in frightened pockets to make way for the beast. It came to a halt and dropped the scarf from its mouth in front of one of the ports: The Republic City port. The dog looked from the boat to Korra and whined, pawing at her feet. She took the hint and loudly snorted. "You've got to be kidding me. A dog wants me to go to Republic City? Is this some kind of sign from the Spirits?"

She didn't expect the animal to respond, but it tilted its head and gave her look that could've said, "Well, come on." Korra reached down to grab her scarf but the polar bear-dog gave a threatening growl. She narrowed her eyes at the animal, as if to intimidate it, but the beast stood it's ground.

Korra sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll go. But if we're traveling together, you need a name." She reached out and scratched behind its right ear. The dog responded by closing its eyes and leaning into Korra's hand. "You like that, don't you girl?" She let her tongue drop out of her mouth, reveling in the pleasure her new master was giving. Korra smiled. "You know I've always wanted a pet . . . Hmm, how about . . . Naga?"

The dog looked up to her. Korra repeated the new name and the animal perked up. She said it one more time and Naga confirmed that she was happy with the name with a large amount of ecstatic, sloppy kisses to Korra's face.

Korra made her way up the wooden ramp with her new friend at her right side. A hefty guard with a clipboard stepped in their path. "Hold up, sweetie. This ship is for Future Industries employees only."

"Wait, there has to be some way I can get on the ship. I can pay, if you'd like. Please." She was desperate for the escape. Her mind was made up (unfortunately for her) and she now had no choice thanks to Naga.

"Sorry, sweetie. No exceptions." Korra's skin itched every time he called her "sweetie". Naga began to growl at the guard after sensing her master's anger. "Do you even have a license for this animal?" The guard inquired.

Korra's eyes grew and she gave the polar bear-dog a nudge. "C'mon girl, let's get out of here." The last thing she needed was trouble.

An older woman approached the two after they had stepped off the ramp. In a deep, raspy voice the woman whispered, "If you need to get to Republic City, you should see Mako."

"Mako?" Korra thought she shouldn't trust just anyone off the streets but then she realized she _was_ a "just anyone off the streets". And if this Mako guy could get her out of these Northern streets, than she would trust as much as her instincts would allow. "Where can I find him?"

"The Imperial Palace."


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all so much for the follows, favorites, and reviews! I've been getting lots of questions and praise and I'm really happy you all like the story after two chapters. Again, thank you, and I look forward to hearing more from you guys.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or the inspired story.

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Instead of the Imperial Palace, Korra found herself at a completely destroyed, discolored, vermin-infested replica of a palace that had a very slim chance of ever once being called "imperial". The idea that someone was traipsing around the mansion, let alone possibly _living_ in it, was absolute nonsense to her. But still, she decided if her only chance to leave was in there, it was worth a shot.

Korra tugged at the wooden boards that haphazardly covered one of the doors. They came off easily. Korra's projected effort ended up being too much force on the worn down boards as she pulled swiftly and stumbled back. Naga used her body as a wall to stop her.

Compared to the inside of the palace, the outside was a picture of pure beauty. Every inch appeared to be covered in heavy dust and layers of cobwebs. Korra treaded lightly through the building for fear that one wrong step would cause the whole thing to collapse. In contrast, Naga galloped past her, excited to explore the grounds.

Korra came to what seemed to be a grand dining room. The furniture was covered in white sheets, but the china was left out on the tables as if someone was preparing for dinner. She picked up one of the plates and blew off most of the dust. The china had a mirror like quality to it's metal, but when Korra looked at the reflection she could only see her younger self; messy dark hair, chubby cheeks, wide blue eyes that could see beyond optimism.

The longer she stared at the plate the clearer the image grew. Korra put the plate down and moved through the building again. After many twists and turns through the hallways, she came to a large staircase. Carpeting covered in shades of royal blue and turquoise lead down to a vast ballroom. The walls had long windows; the sun broke through in fragments, bending around the faded tinting. Between each window were indigo curtains draped from ceiling to floor. Resting against each curtain were portraits of various people. Some were ripped up, some were crumbling at the edges, and some were defaced by so much dust it was a question whether there was actually people in the painting.

Korra walked through the dance hall and gazed at the 300 or so faces against the walls. She dropped her coat and scarf, basking in the sunlight.

It felt as if she were in some sort of dream, something that she had dreamt night after night for years upon years. She saw the people in the portraits come to life; they danced off the walls and onto the cerulean dance floor, never skipping a beat as they twirled. She saw faces she hadn't seen in years, faces of sisters and cousins, uncles and brothers. They danced around her like a cyclone. She wanted to join the dizzying ride. She grasped onto the first person she could find and followed the path he took. She passed from face to face to face, making a full circle around the room, until she took in one more face that was hauntingly familiar. He was her protector, her storyteller, her best friend, her world. His prominent muscles and blue eyes told her he was family. Korra let him take her on the continuous whirlwind until he brought them both to a halt. He leaned over and kissed her forehead and as he pulled back she saw the love in his eyes and she knew-

"Hey! What are you doing in here?"

The harsh voice ripped Korra from her imagination. Her instinct told her to bolt towards the first exit she could find.

"Hey, stop!" She heard not one, but two pairs of feet chase her across the ballroom. She leapt up the other staircase and tried to anticipate where to go next: the halls spilt off left and right, but it wasn't clear which was the exit. Korra's body wanted to break through the wall and grand portrait in front of her, but her mind stopped her from colliding into the cement.

She turned around, expecting to see her pursuers, but instead found Naga. Her fur was raised on her back and Korra registered an odd sound as the polar bear-dog's vicious growling. Behind the beast, she saw two men; one was tall and lean and the other man was shorter, but his muscle definition was much larger, making him look husky. Both had their hands raised in the air, terrified looks painting their faces. "Look, we don't want any trouble," the shorter of the two said. "We just want to know why you're here."

Korra put a hand on Naga, petting her neck to calm her, and side stepped in front of the animal to calm the other two. "Are one of you Mako?" she asked.

The taller man relaxed, placing his hands in his pockets. "Depends on who's asking?"

Korra narrowed her eyes. "Look, I'm trying to get to Republic City and they say you're the man to see."

He walked up the steps to her. "I don't know who told you that, but I can't-" Once he got a good look at her face, he could see it. Mako's eyes glanced to the large portrait behind her and searched for the duchess's face. He looked back to the girl. _She's spitting image_, he thought.

Korra watched his rich amber eyes dart back and forth between her and an object behind her. She turned and only saw the grand portrait against the wall. "What are you looking at?"

Mako drew his attention back. "Um, nothing. I'm sorry, what did you say your name was again?"

"It's Korra."

"Korra, I see. Bolin," he looked back to his brother and gestured for him to come up the stairs. Bolin came to stand at Mako's side and the older brother leaned over to him. "Do you see what I see?" he whispered.

Bolin squinted at the picture in front of them as Naga stepped around to come to Korra's left side. "I see an unnaturally large dog," he whispered back.

Mako rolled his eyes. "Not that, the girl." He pointed to the portrait and Bolin took in a sharp breath.

"Yes, yes, I do see it!" He clapped in excitement and looked to Mako. "You think she could be the one?"

"That's what I hope." Mako stepped closer to Korra and saw that the beastly animal was sniffing at him with a look of contempt. "Er, cute dog."

"Her name is Naga," Korra defended.

"Right," he ignored both of them and began walking in circle around Korra's body. His eyes ran over her up and down multiple times. She had the same skin tone, hair color, eye color, even the same huge muscles that had somehow run through the royal family. The good thing, though, is that she wasn't all muscle. She had a woman's physique, the ideal hour-glass figure; not to mention she was well endowed in all the right places. Mako couldn't help but take noticeably longer than he should have to drink in her image.

"Excuse me?" Her ringing voice seemed shatter any sort of attraction that had begun for him. "What the hell are you staring at?"

"I apologize, now you said something about Republic City?"

Korra folded her arms in front of her chest. She didn't like how cut-and-run his responses were. "Yes, I would like to go there."

"I see. Did you live there beforehand or anything?"

Korra's expression became wearisome. "Well . . ." She paused, trying to figure out a way to put it. Her hand grasped the charm of her necklace. "Okay, this is going to sound crazy but . . . I don't know where I'm from. When I was eight, I was found wandering around on the streets and I was brought to an orphanage a couple miles outside the city."

"Huh. And before you were eight. Do you know anything-"

"Look, I know it's strange," Korra stated quickly, eager for the interrogation of her history to be over. "I have very few memories of my past."

Mako took a step back from her and sighed. "Perfect," she heard him mumble.

"The only clue I have of who I am is Republic City, so can you help me or not?" She felt herself growing frustrated with not getting answers.

"Well, we would love to help. In fact," he patted Bolin on the shoulder and he fished for something in his coat. He pulled it out and handed it to Mako. "We have three tickets to Republic City, actually." He paused to watch Korra's face light up with optimism. "But of course the third is for her." Mako gestured towards the portrait against the wall. "Korrin."

Before she could get a good look at the girl, Mako had taken hold of Korra's right arm and Bolin took her left. Together, the brothers dragged her around the corner of the wall and entered another hall full of portraits. These, though, seemed to have the same faces in each one, very familiar faces.

"We want to help reunite the grand duchess with her water bending master, Katara," Bolin told her.

"You know you do look like her," Mako stated.

"She's got the same blue eyes."

"Tonraq's smile."

"Senna's bone structure."

Korra ripped her arms from the babbling brothers and stopped in her tracks, tripping them up. "Whoa, whoa. Are you trying to say you think _I_ am Korrin?"

Mako stepped closer to Korra and gave her a determined look. "All I'm trying to say is I've seen hundreds of girls all over the world and not one of them looks as much like the Avatar as you do."

Korra rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. "I knew you were insane, I just didn't believe it until now."

He grabbed her arm to spin her back around. "But you have no idea what happened to you."

Bolin jumped to Korra's other side once again. "No one knows what happened to _her_."

"You're looking for family in Republic City."

"The only family she has is in Republic City."

"Didn't you ever think about the possibility?"

Korra furrowed her brows at the two. "That I could be the Avatar?" They nodded in sync. "Well, it's kind of hard to think about when you can't bend."

"You said you forgot everything before you went to the orphanage," Mako stated. "Perhaps somewhere along there your body could've forgotten how to bend." Korra bit her lip, looking as if she were finally contemplating the idea. He watched her gaze up to the painting of Korrin and Katara. For a second, those blue eyes of hers mesmerized him as they analyzed every inch of the portrait. "Look, we really wish we could help, but the third ticket _is_ for the grand Duchess."

He and Bolin peeled away from Korra's standing form and made their way back down the stairs and through the ballroom.

"Why didn't you tell her about our brilliant plan?" Bolin asked.

"All she wants to do is go to Republic City," Mako told him. "Why give away a third of the reward money?"

"We're walking away to soon."

"Don't worry, Bo. I've got this all under control." They continued for a couple more paces. Bolin watched as his brother brought three fingers up to the air. One finger dropped, then the next.

"Mako!" Korra yelled from across the ballroom.

A huge grin broke across Bolin's face. "Right in the palm of our hands," he whispered.

"Mako, wait!"

"Oh, you're still here?" Mako said, not even pausing in his walk.

"Oh, you're still a jerk?" His steps faltered. He turned and glared back at the girl.

"What do you want?"

"Look, if I don't remember who I am, then who's to say I'm not a Duchess or even the Avatar or whatever she is, right? And if I'm not her, Katara will certainly know right away and it's all just an honest mistake."

"Sounds plausible," Mako told her, nodding in interest.

"But if you are the Duchess," Bolin started, getting the over-dramatized twinkle in his eye. "Then you'll finally know who you are, what you're meant to be, and you'll have everything in your wildest hopes and dreams!"

"So, are you in?" Mako held out his hand.

"I'm in!" Korra grabbed his hand in a firm shake. A few pops and cracks filled the air before Mako gave a deafening cry of pain.

* * *

Unalaq felt his body revive from meditation before his mind did. Since he became stuck in what he assumed was Limbo, meditation was the only way of giving him rest considering he couldn't fall asleep; meditation was also the only way of holding onto whatever sanity he had left. Several spirits surrounded and encircled his body.

"It's been a long time, Vaatu," Unalaq said. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me."

The monstrous dark spirit came into view. The deep baritone of Vaatu's voice shook the ground. "I never forget an unfulfilled curse."

"I don't understand. Every member of Tonraq's family is dead; the curse _was_ fulfilled."

"The Avatar is still alive."

That was it. That was the reason he was stuck, why he could not rest in peace. _That ignorant brat is still alive._ "If you will let me go back to the Material World, I will make sure this mistake is taken care of."

"Don't underestimate her. Raava still lies within her." With that, Vaatu was gone and Unalaq was left to meditate back to the Living's realm.

_In the dark of the night . . . In the dark of the night . . . In the dark of the night . . . You will be mine._


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry this is late guys! It's been a busy week. I've had to switch classes and catch up on all the new work so I didn't have much free time to work on this chapter, but here it is! It may be a little rough since I've only done a couple read-throughs, but I hope it's not too bad. Thank you! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or the inspired story.

* * *

"Would you stop fiddling with that thing? Sit up straight. And keep your chin up, you're a Duchess remember." Mako had been a never-ending handbook of "Princess Tips" since the first step out of the palace and Korra was growing tired of it already. If one more command came out of his mouth, she promised to wring his neck.

Instead of following his orders, Korra stayed slouched against the hard cushion. She was transfixed by the way the snow and trees blurred together as the train sped along through the Earth Kingdom.

"Korra, I'm just trying to-"

"Mako," she spoke with a soft tone that neither he nor Bolin had ever heard come out of her before. Mako was so distracted by his instinct to melt with her voice he barely heard her next sentence. "Do you really think I'm royalty?"

Mako followed her example and carried the same low tone. "Well, yes, Korra, you know I do."

When she whipped her head around to look at him, though, her hard, ruthless glare in no way matched the voice he heard. "Then stop bossing me around!" Korra hissed. She immediately grabbed her things and left the compartment. Naga clumsily followed, hitting Mako in the face with her tail and nearly breaking a few toes on the way.

Bolin chuckled at Mako's look of disbelief. "She certainly has a mind of her own," he said as he returned back to writing their "travel papers".

"Yeah, I hate that in a woman."

About ten minutes later, Korra heard her compartment's door open. She chose not to look at the figure that stepped around the polar bear-dog to sit across from her; she knew who it was.

"Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot," Mako started.

"I think we did too," Korra clipped. "But I appreciate your apology."

"Apology? Who said anything about an apology?" Korra felt an unwelcomed feud begin to brew.

"Okay, okay, just- Don't talk. It's just going to piss me off."

"Fine then. I'll be quiet if you will."

"Fine, I'll be quiet."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"_Fine_." Mako narrowed his eyes as he tried to get the last word in.

"_Fine._" Korra established that she wouldn't let that happen.

Not four beats went by before she began again. "Do you think you'll miss it?"

"What, you're talking?" Mako shot back with no attempt to hide his annoyance.

"_No_. The Northern Tribe."

"Ha, no way."

"But it was your home."

"No, it was _a_ home."

Korra could see him growing uncomfortable. "So you wouldn't miss your family?"

"Bolin is my only family."

"What about your parents?" The question escaped her mouth before she could even grasp it.

Mako stared hard at the ground for a few moments. "They were killed." Korra bit her lip, immediately regretting her quick mouth. "During the Siege of the Palace. There were riots after the spirits attacked and I watched them cut my parents down."

"Mako, I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

"I don't need pity," he cut in. "My brother and I have survived and that's all that matters."

She let the silence fill the compartment for a moment. "So will you make Republic City your home?"

"What is it with you and homes?" He wasn't annoyed anymore; he was angry.

The air suddenly felt tense and she grew angry as well. "For one thing, it's something every normal person wants! And second, it's-" _Something I've never had_. The words stopped abruptly at the edge of her lips. She grew frustrated and wanted to smack his acerbic expression right off his face. "Oh, just forget it!"

The compartment door opened again to reveal Bolin. "I heard yelling. Mako, what did you do?"

"Me? Are you kidding? She started it!" He swung his pointer finger in Korra's direction like a juvenile.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Bolin pulled Mako aside and whispered quickly. "We have a problem with the papers."

"What problem?"

"Everything's in green." He demonstrated how he had already printed three sets of travel papers in black ink.

"What, the Earth Queen just felt like changing everything in the last three years?"

"Apparently so, now I suggest we got out of here before the guards come."

The two collected their belongings while dragging along a confused Korra and even more troubled Naga. The easy part was finding the space to hide for the time being: the baggage car. The much more difficult part was trying to coerce the polar bear-dog into the cramped space. Finally, after much convincing from her master and even more pushing from the two brothers, the beast made her way into the car.

"Why the hell did we bring the dog anyway?" Mako complained under his breath.

"Naga comes with me whether we are doing illegal things or not." Korra raised a brow at he and Bolin. "You think I can't tell what you two have been doing?"

Before either could retort, the train car took a huge jolt forward, knocking all three onto the floor. Korra looked back to find the south side's door completely blown off, the remaining cars of the train slowing down behind them. "Was this your idea of escaping the guards, Cool Guy?"

Mako shuffled to the north side of the car. He looked out the small window to see the engine of the train produce a thin gas rather than the coal emissions it should have been producing. "Something's wrong with the engine, I'm going to check it out."

He jumped across, climbed up the leading car, and ran across the burning coal. Once he reached the conductor's quarters, he grabbed the side window and swung through, knocking his body against the opposite wall. He didn't find anyone in the quarters but he did find all of the systems completely frozen over. That explained the gas. With the burning coals reacting against the ice, the engine had a possibility of imploding at any minute. By the placement of the spindle on the pressure gauge, Mako estimated it would actually be any second.

He immediately began defrosting the engine by fire bending at the tips of his fingers, slowly and carefully. Mako warily watched the pressure gauge release as he kept the same intensity of heat.

The gauge released down by two whole numbers and he relaxed a little, just slightly increasing the amount of heat. After a minute, Mako looked back to the gauge; the spindle was rising again at an instantaneous speed. He felt the pressure grow and stopped bending, jumping back to escape the car. He grabbed the edge of the side window and began pulling his body out. Mako felt the explosion before he heard it as the flames licked up his legs. With adrenaline pumping, he managed to wriggle out and plant two feet on the fragile ceiling before he could be seriously burned.

"Are you okay?" Bolin yelled once Mako had climbed off the opposite car.

"I'm fine, but no one's driving this train and the engine just combusted. We're going to have un-cable the car and coast to a stop. Look for a wrench or axe or something." He began fire bending at the thick steel attempting to melt the element. The train's speed was picking up and the chilling wind painfully stung his face. "Bolin, this would be a really great time for you to be able to metal bend," Mako yelled.

"Sorry, I'm not that talented, bro!" Both he and Korra were fishing through every box and bag possible for something helpful but of course there was nothing but clothing. All the tools must have been in the conductor's quarters. Korra came across what seemed to be a circus or street performer's luggage containing many intricate costumes and complicated technology. She pushed the bags aside to see a wooden box with the word "EXPLOSIVES" stamped across the side.

Mako had barely made a dent in the bonds. "Dammit, is there seriously nothing in there?" As if on cue, Korra handed him a small stick of dynamite. 'That'll work." He lit the wick, stuck it in between the cables, and hopped into the car.

Bolin held Naga against one wall of the car and curled his body into a ball. Mako followed suit, pulling Korra tight into his arms against the other wall and tucking both their heads. She tried to ignore the feeling of his breath against her neck and the warmth that churned in her stomach.

The car shook violently as the dynamite combusted. They all brought their heads up to see that the cars had separated. Korra looked at the track ahead of them; she saw around a couple bends of the mountain there would be a large bridge. She wasn't sure if it was a dark spirit or a very large ghost, but Korra caught a glimpse of something mysteriously out of place. Seconds later, the bridge of track collapsed, pieces falling into the large canyon. "Plan B, Team Captain?" She said as she gave a snarky expression to Mako and hitched a thumb at the disaster.

He took inventory of the car and located a large set of chains. "Bolin, try to pull what's left of the breaks. Korra, help me out with this." They pushed the chains to where the south door was supposed to be. He climbed out and underneath the car. Mako struggled to breathe against the gravity and speed of the car. "Hand me the end." She fished the heavy hook down and he wrapped it around one of the steel bearings of the train.

He heard metal debris begin to come lose and saw sparks as a bar fell from the front of the car and came straight for his body. The bar just scraped his arm but it was enough to knock him off balance and lose his grip of the car. Before he had fully closed his eyes for the anticipated blow of the tracks against his body, Mako felt a hand grasp his and pull him up. He opened his eyes and found his face was less than four inches from Korra's; her glassy, cerulean eyes were wide with fear.

She pulled his body the rest of the way into the car. "If we live through this, remind me to thank you," he told her.

She gave a small laugh. "You got it." Together, they pushed to the rest of the heavy chains onto the tracks. The other end hooked onto a plank for a small moment before ripping up the rest of the track with it. "Plan C?"

"We jump."

The three gathered their bags and jumped with the polar bear-dog into the harsh snow. After recovering, they watched both cars fly off the bridge into the chasm. A moment later, flames and smoke engulfed the air of the canyon in response to the crash.

"I hate trains," Mako stated.

* * *

A/N: Keep this chapter fresh in your mind because I may be adding a little treat for you guys at the very end of the story!


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Again, sorry this is late! I may just extend the updates to Saturdays instead of Fridays since it appears to be easier. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far and thank you so much for the follows and wonderful reviews! I love hearing the feedback from you guys.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or the inspired story.

* * *

They had been traveling on foot since the train wreck the night before. Really, _Mako_ had been on foot while Naga let the other two ride along on her back; the polar bear-dog still had her qualms towards the bitter human.

They soon came to a stop near a vibrant river, thankful for it's refreshing nutrients under the mid-day sun. "So, are we going to be walking all the way to Republic City?" Korra inquired.

"No, your majesty, _of course not_," Mako began, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Bolin jumped in before his older brother could receive a slap to the face. "Once we reach the nearest city, we'll take a bus to Yu Dao. From there, we'll take a boat to Republic City. Then, we'll get to meet with Asami!"

"Wait, who's Asami?" she asked. The name seemed familiar but completely random at the same time.

Bolin became lithe as he launched into the marvelous depiction. "She's the illustrious, tantalizing, decadent, sugary-spice beauty of every man's dreams, as Mako would put it." He waggled his eyebrows mockingly towards the fire bender.

"Bolin, shut up about-" Mako tried to cut in, a blush spreading up his neck.

"Why she's Katara's eldest niece."

"Wait, but . . . I thought we were going to see Katara herself?" Korra stopped scratching Naga's back and shot a hard grimace to the other brother. "Mako . . . "

His original plan was to tread lightly on the subject, but now he had to face the battle completely haphazard. "The thing is, no one gets to talk to Katara without convincing Asami first that you're- "

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no," she trilled. "No one every said I had to _prove_ I was actually Korrin!"

"But, Korra-"

"Show up, yes. Look nice, fine. But lie?"

"You don't know it's a lie! What if it is true? This is something you should see through to the end."

"Oh, now you're being optimistic? C'mon, Mako, look at me. I am _not_ the grand Duchess and_ certainly not _the Avatar."

She scoffed back to the delicate stream where Naga and Bolin still sat. Looking into the glassy water, she could see her reflection clearly. Her eyes transfixed on the way the water mobilized the edges of her features.

"Korra, you know he's right." Bolin stated.

She rolled her eyes. _Great, now he's trying to rope me in_.

"It's hard to hear, but what have you got left to lose? You said yourself you have no past. There's nothing left back there, the old Korra that you left behind. Your only choice is to move forward."

She took a minute to digest his words. "So your saying I should pretend to be some princess?"

"I'm saying you should make something of yourself. If it ends up being the Duchess, that's wonderful! If its not, you can choose to be something else. When Mako and I had to live on the streets, we didn't just give up and dwell on the past; we moved forward, built ourselves up, and prospered from it. If we can do that, surely you can do the same."

She had to give it to Bolin: he knew how to give an inspirational speech a hell of a lot better than his brother could. "You think it's that easy?"

"I know it is."

She sighed, the action serving as a white flag. "Fine then. Gentlemen, make me a duchess."

* * *

Throughout the entire trip to the nearest city, the brothers taught Korra how to walk and talk, eat and greet, every mannerism any royal should know. They even tried to get her to bend to see if there really was something suppressed. When they came across a small pond, both tried to give the best advice they could to translate into water bending, since it was Korrin's and most likely Korra's natural element.

Somehow something had clicked when they explained what it was like to feel the energy flow throughout the body rather than the element itself and she was able to make a disfigured arch of water rise from the modest pool. All three were in complete shock; the brothers even more so when Korra pretty much mastered the basic moves in just a half hour of practice.

Once they boarded the bus, the easy portion of being a princess was over and now came the more difficult step: the knowledge.

"Do I really have to memorize every single family member?"

"If you want to pass as the Duchess, you do," Mako stated. "Now, Aziron?"

Korra blew the fly away hairs out of her face and continued reciting the facts. "Brother of Fire Lord Honora, retired general of the United Forces. A placid man; he held an immense hatred for oolong tea and the tsungi horn. He always wore a dragon-hawk feather in his uniform jacket and . . . I recall his red rat . . . No, a fire ferret, named Pabu."

Bolin and Mako exchanged a glance of disbelief and looked back to their notes.

"You got it exactly right, Korra!" Bolin praised. "Now try great uncle Bato."

As she went through the distant family member's story, Bolin leaned over to whisper to his brother. "I don't have the fire ferret written down any where, do you?"

"Not a damn thing about it," Mako murmured as he scanned the pages. "I don't remember ever hearing about this rat, either."

". . . and he assisted Chief Hakoda in creating and setting off stink bombs against the Fire Nation during the Day of the Black Sun. Enough information for you?"

The brothers nodded in sync, both putting the thought aside that she was either the girl the entire world had been looking for or just flat out insane.

* * *

"Here, I got this for you," Mako held out the long, flowing blue fabric to her. They had finally gotten on the boat and Korra thought this would be her chance to have a break from the royalty schooling, but apparently not.

"What is it? A table cloth?"

"_No_, it's a dress." He was growing quite irritated with her constant snarky comments. "I thought it would be nice for you to wear when we talk to Asami. Try it on to make sure it fits."

"Alright." She took the dress and held it to her body, making an estimation of how it would fit on her. Mako turned and began towards the deck. "Hey, what's with you and this Asami girl?"

He stopped and turned again, quirking an eyebrow. Korra noticed the blush escaping from his collar again. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, Bolin seemed to imply that you had quite an . . . infatuation with her and her sugary-spice-ness."

He felt an urge to wipe that stupid smirk of her face. Mako closed his eyes, not wanting to look at her, and tried to brush the topic aside. "It's nothing. We just had a thing, but it's in the past."

"So, you two dated?" She pried.

He gave a quick snort. "We're not exactly the _dating_ type of people." He immediately regretted letting the sentence escape without a second thought.

"Oh, so you two we're just having sex, huh?" Her face lit up with satisfaction when the vermillion shade spread up to his cheeks, matching the scarf around his neck. She gave a hearty laugh at the fact that she now held the upper hand with him.

Mako decided to claim the warmth that erupted in his core when she laughed as annoyance. "Just put on the dress, okay!" He quickly stalked up the steps to the deck before she had another chance to embarrass him.

* * *

"Well?"

Mako felt his heart jolt when he heard her voice, shocked since he didn't hear her step up behind him. When he looked to her, though, every sarcastic utterance that came to mind was completely forgotten. The dress snuggly held her upper body, showing off the tight muscles of her abdomens and the not-so-tight parts of her chest. The skirt flattered her hips, flowing out around her shape down to her ankles. She had let her hair out of the centered wolf tail, but left the other two to frame her face. She spun in the fluent fabric, her hair gracefully gliding with it. Korra was a picture of natural beauty and he couldn't help but stare.

"Wow, does it look that bad?" She inquired when he didn't speak.

He mentally shook himself from the trance and arrived back to reality. "No, no. I'm sorry. It . . . looks nice." He could tell she wasn't completely convinced due to his lack of vocabulary.

"Korra, you look gorgeous!" Bolin stated, grabbing his brother by the arm and towing him to the girl. "Now, you are ready for a ball. Let's teach you the waltz, yes?" He practically threw Mako at her body.

The older brother picked up Bolin's scheme and quickly tried to dismiss the coming situation. "Bro, you know I can't-"

"Then this will be a learning opportunity for you both!" Like a puppeteer, he placed Korra's hand on Mako's shoulder, and Mako's hand on her waist, and forced the other two hands to clasp together. "Now, you simply make a square as you make a full turn, doing a triple step on each corner of the square." Looking at the two teenagers, he could see the were still flustered from just being so close in contact that they were completely clueless to what he was saying. "Okay, just try it."

Korra's eyes immediately dropped to her feet, focusing on not stepping over her partner's. Her strategy failed when she had trampled his toes twice in one "square". Bolin had to stop the tragic scene.

"Okay, okay. Mako, you have to lead her around, Korra you have to _let_ him lead." She nodded at his instruction as her eyes shot back down to their feet. She felt a hand lift her chin and her eyes locked onto the rich amber staring back at her. "The only way you can know where he's taking you is if you actually look at him." She took in a deep breath that she didn't know she needed. Korra nodded again, her eyes not leaving her partner's.

They began moving again, triumphantly getting through a whole square without a hiccup. Confidence brewing, Korra was tempted to leave Mako's gaze to glance at their feet again, but decided against it.

"Um, you look good with your hair down," he told her. "Y-You should wear it like that."

Korra let the edges of her lips curl into a small smile. "I am wearing it down."

"Oh, yeah, right." He gave a nervous laugh as he led her into a single turn. Mako carefully returned her to his grasp, fitting his hand back in the curve of her waist like it was made for him. "I was just trying to give you a, uh . . . "

"Compliment?" She laughed lightly. "You don't seem too good with your words today, Cool Guy."

He felt the blush spread again and tried to will his body to stop the reaction. Instead, he looked down and gave a sort of awkward smile he couldn't control. Once their feet began to trip up again, his eyes shot back up to Korra's. But this time her eyes had changed; there was intensity in her stare, yet softness as well.

"Am I making you nervous?" Her small smile still held.

His lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to match her eyes with the same intensity. "A little."

Her smile fell yet her heart soared. She suddenly felt lightheaded and was positive it wasn't from the dancing. "I'm starting to feel a little dizzy."

"Me too. Maybe we should stop spinning."

"We have stopped." Mako tried to remember when that happened because his mind was still going in circles.

"Right. Korra, I . . . " He wasn't sure where his mouth wanted to go with the sentence.

"Yes?"

"Well, there's just something . . . " His words failed as he took notice of how close they really were; he felt his own breath bounce off the skin of her cheek.

"Yes?" Korra grew impatient, waiting for him to close the very miniscule distance between their lips. She watched as he drew closer and closer then far, far away. Her eyes opened wider to see that he had retracted to arms length from her body. An uncomfortable silence suddenly filled the air as the partners realized what was just about to happen.

"Um, you're doing great," Mako said, deftly avoiding her gaze. He patted her on the shoulder and quickly brushed past her, making a bee-hawk line for the dormitories.

* * *

A/N:I wanted to make this chapter to longer, but it ended up being pretty long the way it is, so I gave you guys a bunch of Makorra fluff. Do with it what you will until next Fri(Satur)day! Thank you, guys!


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